Automated Vehicles Act 2024

9 Further provision about variation, suspension and withdrawal

(1) References in this Part to varying an automated vehicle authorisation include varying, adding to or omitting authorisation conditions attached to the authorisation.

(2) The variation of an authorisation may be temporary or permanent.

(3) An authorisation as varied must be such as the Secretary of State could grant anew.

(4) The suspension or temporary variation of an authorisation—

(a) may be for a fixed period or indefinite, and

(b) may be lifted or reversed by the Secretary of State at any time.

(5) The suspension of an authorisation means that—

(a) the authorised automated vehicle in question is no longer to be considered such for the purposes of sections 46, 78 and 79, and

(b) an authorised no-user-in-charge feature identified in the authorisation is no longer to be considered such for the purposes of section 34B(2) of the Road Traffic Act 1988,

but does not otherwise affect the authorisation.

(6) A relevant authorisation measure takes effect—

(a) when notice of it is issued to the authorised self-driving entity for the authorised automated vehicle concerned, or

(b) at such later time as is specified in the notice.

(7) In subsection (6), “relevant authorisation measure” means—

(a) the variation, suspension or withdrawal of an automated vehicle authorisation,

(b) the reversal of a variation,

(c) the lifting of a suspension, or

(d) the restoration of a withdrawn authorisation (further to a direction under paragraph 3(3) or 4(5) of Schedule 1).

(8) The Secretary of State must impose authorisation requirements designed to reduce the likelihood of a person’s unknowingly using a vehicle in a way that is no longer in accordance with an automated vehicle authorisation as a result of a variation, suspension or withdrawal.